Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Heym Express Rifle in .416 Rigby?

The Heym Express is a great rifle. I don’t this anyone is disputing that. Personally, I think they priced themselves out of a market segment when the went from just under $10k to $15k. Nothing on the rifle changed except the price that was already a reach at the $10k price tag. My opinion is that they are trying to align and compare to “best” grade rifles. Even I grouped it with the Rigby offering my initial post; which I suppose was a goal of Heym all along…

If a guy has $10k-$15k to spend on a rifle, IMO there are better or perhaps more bespoke alternatives available via custom gun builders over a high-end production rifle.

Absolutley Haverluk

Heym's are a nice rifle, but for the money I can pick the action, barrel, sights, wood, rings, bases, cast off, drop, checkering, engraving, finish, etc.

I have two of Ralf's rifles, one of which has a Stuart Satterlee barrelled action.I think those rifles cost twice as much to build today than when I started building them around 2007.Both rifles are gems.I like making things the bespoke way or from scratch with high quality materials.

This . German labor is obscenely expensive. For that kind of coin, an island sight looks cheesy. Rigby builds much classier rifles in my opinion and the actions are really the same.

I am not fond of that island sight either.

Pick a builder and go shopping for your build components and have exactly what you choose and want and enjoy a finely crafted rifle that fits you like a glove. I doubt the 416 Rigby is that much of a game changer to ruin a hunt by taking the tried and true .375. With your long term experience with the .375, I think that counts more than any additional perceived benefit the .416 Rigby may have.

All of the above said, the pictures posted make me smile and are all nice rifles.

FWIW & IME,
I think the rifle is a bit overpriced. That being said I have seen SCI Heym Express Rifles run from just under $10K(YEARS ago) to this current rifle at $14,500. Off the top there is $1500 added for the grade of Walnut. That stock is beautiful AND appropriate through the wrist. Also keep in mind 10% inflation...

A "bespoke" .375 H&H or .416 Rigby for "$10-15K"... Really? Surely you jest...

Take a long look at how many English "Bespoke" rifles were built on German barreled actions and stocked by the British.

Regards, Matt.

All or mostly all Brit bolts were/are built on German made 98 actions, nothing knew there. Verney Carron will build you a very nice bespoke bolt for about 15 grand.

i can't speak for other gunmakers but I know a rifle made by Ralf Martini or Stuart Sattellee will feed anytime anywhere.
Also,IMO many take short cuts in building stocks.Very few -maybe one or two will build you a stock completely by hand.
As far as barrels go I would go with a Douglass or Krieger.If you want engraving you can choose one of many engravers worldwide.
There are also skills required for putting iron sights on so that you will have a nice full blade sighted in out to 100yds.I know Ralf can do this-but its not easy-you want that blade or leaf dead centre with respect to your sight base and not a little to the left or right-that screws up the whole rifle.I've been through all this crap many times and spend thousand of dollars so I learned the hard way but the way I won't forget.If you blindly choose anyone to build you a rifle which will probably be the case you may be in for some surprises-unfortunately.

My rifles are 458's.If I were to do it over again-that is build a bespoke rifle,I would go with the 375 H&H.The375 makes for a slimmer and sexier rifle build compared to a Rigby or 458.The barrel contour is smaller and so is the stock.It is also lighter.Bigger bores are for double rifles.That is not saying I don't enjoy mine but experience made me see things a different way.

If I were building a big bore bolt gun today, it’d be D’Arcy Echols or Gene Simillion doing it. In years past the Biesen’s built several for me and they were top class. Feeding, function and proper stock work were their hallmarks, just as the other two builders I’ve mentioned. Lots of folks can build a nice 270 but damn few can put together a big bore you can bet your life on.

Gentlemen,
If the rifle was "overpriced" before, it is now getting silly expensive...IMHO

I called Heym USA/Chris Sells a couple of months ago to enquire about a .300 H&H/.375 H&H pair. We had JUST talked about the .416 Rigby shown above. He said they were going to build a .300 H&H light rifle, however, demand had dictated that he raise the price. Hence he was raising the price of the BASE rifle by $2000 to bring it to $14,000! The Rigby shown above was $14,500, however, that was with a $2500 stock figure upgrade. It would now run $16,500 plus tax, shipping, and receiving.

Heym USA is, according to Sells, is so inundated with Heym Express Rifle demand that he decided to raise the price by $2k to "slow down orders." It certainly worked in my case...

Another look at a Heym Express at Hallowell's.

Bolt handle inlet is ugly...


Rust under rear island sight...


Another angle...


Their .300 H&H Express Rifle is shown below. Same pricing as the large bores. Tis a shame that brass is nearly impossible to find.



I'll build on an FZH if I build at all. I was talking to Roger Green about actions and learned of the Biden Administrations new tax on guns that cost more than $2500. That was too much to process short a frosty beverage... Speaking of which...;-).

Regards, Matt.

For $15k you can commission a custom rifle and get pretty much what you want. I like the 375 h&h but it is really a medium bore. The 416’s carry a lot more thump. I have the 416 Rigby flavor and I also have built a 450 Rigby which is a real thumper. As mentioned the Rigby’s need a true magnum action and they tend to be on the heavier side. Your first thought is who cares on a heavy recoiling big bore. However, the issue is you carry the gun 99% of the time and shoot it 1% ( math may be off here, but you get my drift). When your 8 miles in to a 10 mile elephant hike in a 108 degree heat things get heavy. I finally wised up and had Duane Wiebe build me a 404 Jeffery on a standard length Mauser action. It’s the cats meow….has the thump of a 40 cal and it’s a joy to hump.

I've always shot both 375H&H and .416Rem in Africa.

I love the .375 for plains game and possibly larger if needed.

My .416Rem has killed elephants down to Bushbuck and impala. I'd feel under gunned with .375 for elephant yet never over gunned with the .416 for PG.

I brought my custom 1909 Argentine in .375 Ruger that I picked up last spring for this last trip. It was fantastic for everything I killed. It will be taken each time from now on. The rifle cost under $10K including the Swarovski z6i scope.

This is my Cameroon buff taken in January.

I can second James Anderson as a true artisan.

Having had and shot both the 458 Lott, a 416 Rem and the 375, a bespoke rifle for me would be in the H&H. It’s just so versatile and does so much so well with such reasonable ruckus. It can be built all up for 8.5 lbs or somewhat under, great carry-weight.

Yes, at $10K it was a consideration...at $14,500 a hard pass. Look around for a used custom 375 built by one of the masters for half that. Most 375 rifles are used rather sparingly compared to most calibers.